Police Brutality

04.13.10

Video Shows Cops Beating U. Md. Student

Video showing police brutally beating a University of Maryland student contradicts police officers' sworn statements about what happened the night of the incident. The newly released tape shows John McKenna, 19, skipping down the street in celebration of his school's defeat of Duke in the NCAA basketball tournament March 3. He comes across two mounted cops and backs up slightly, and then three police in riot gear rush McKenna and violently beat him, striking him at least a dozen times. McKenna was left unconscious and bleeding; hospital photos show a huge gash in his head and cuts and bruises on his body. Police had claimed that the student hit the horses and officers, causing "minor injuries," and that McKenna suffered minor injuries when the horse kicked him. They also said he was inciting the crowd. "This is police brutality, pure and simple," McKenna's lawyer said. "Clearly, the charging document is a lie. As you can see from the tape, there is not a single fact in that document which is true."